L&NE Pen Argyl Shops

[LNEpenargyl]

I am looking for a engine repair shop on the download station that resembles the shop that Lehigh & New England Railroad had at Pen Argyl. Here are some photos.

The photos I found online are post abandonment. there was a transfer table behind the shop. it would be in the empty space in the second photo. I might have to scan in some better photos from books so you can get a better perspective of the building

 

[LVman]

ah, i see we have a Fellow Lehigh'er on the forums. Glad to have you here.
As for the shops, they're arent any real replicas, but you can kitbash a shop similar to it, using a few premade trainz items.
I, like the Lehigh Valley, a nice competitor to the LNE.
I'll be here for any assistance you need.

Cheers,
Sean

 

[JCitron]

Check out the same area in Microsoft Live. You can really zoom in and take a look at the buildings. George Fischer just made a Pennsy erecting shop that looks a lot like one of the buildings here.

When were the tracks ripped up? It appears that there could possibly be some good industries around that would have made a shortline profitable today.

John

 

[LNEpenargyl]

the LNE was abandoned on october 31, 1961. the lines around pen argyl were picked up by erie lackawanna. EL did not use the yard, but I have been told that they worked an industry on the west end of the yard at wind gap. this only lasted a few years when EL pulled their own line. The LNE is landlocked at this point. The closest active line is the old lackawanna B&P line that runs through bangor. it parallels much of the LNE Main line from bangor to Portland, making any practical re-trackage useless. However, JCitron makes a good point about industry. The reason that the most of the service buildings are still standing are because they have industries in them. across from the site of the yard there is a new industry that makes stone blocks for sidewalks. It might be possible to rebuild the EL line to pen argyl from the B&P Branch.

 

[LVman]

its a dream my friend, trust me, a multi-million dollar dream.
As a large supporter of the Lehigh Valley, i would like to see the restoration of the Manchester NY roundhouse, which is deteiroationg beyond beleif. Unless you or someone has close to 5million in their pocket to give away (most unlikely due to todays wealthy and greedy people) then you are looking at no branchline.
But, i am building a smaller replica of the Pen Argyl Shops since i liked the set-up. Its not an exact replica, and its for one of my shortlines i like to model. But, i may give a crack at the Pen Argyl shops someday.
Do you have any photographs or maps as to how the track was configured?
Cheers,
Sean

 

[LNEpenargyl]

Yeah, I know it's a dream, but hey at least we can live them out on this software. I have a map with the track plans, but I might need to scan it in.

Oh, and to the person who posted the LNE Tender on the DLS, Thank you! now all we need is 2-8-0 camelback, and we are in business. The Reading camelback will do for now.

 

[LVman]

as for that 2-8-0 camelback, i'll take a look at it and crank something out for you LNEPenargyl
Cheers,
Sean
(supporter of the LV, LNE, LHR)

 

[LNEpenargyl]

wow, thanks man. I'll post some photos when I have some progress of the line. I am right now working on summit grade on the Bethlehem branch. This was the biggest headache of the line. 2 miles with a grade of 2.74 percent. however this was the location of the LNE's best photos.

Also, I am working on building the cement complex at stockertown. The LNE, DL&W and the LV all served this area.

 

[JCitron]

Thank you for the information on the LNE. I didn't know the line was abandoned that long ago; the year I was born.

It would be nice if the branch line was rebuilt to serve these industries.

John

 

[LVman]

it would be almost impossible for the LNE mainline to be rebuilt.
Why?
Because the LNE paralleled the LV and CNJ the whole way of the Lehigh river.
But, the only problem LNE faced was, CNJ and LV took the low riverside routes on ether side, forcing the LNE to build a heavy cliff-side main line, also requiring many huge trestles. I remember seeing a picture of an LNE bridge being taken down, that was a huge span, while LV ran underneath the bridge.
But, As a Lehigher, i support my Fellow Lehighers alike. Lehigh Valley, Lehigh & New England, and Lehigh & Hudson River.
If it has Lehigh in its name, then i'll support it.
Cheers,
Sean

 

[LNEpenargyl]

This was one of the few railroads that quit while they were still making a profit. let me explain. The LNE's parent company was the Lehigh Coal and Navigation company. They began to see signs that trouble was on the way. Coal was in decline, and most of the coal loads the LNE took out of the Panther Valley, went right over to the Reading in Tamaqua, only five miles from the mines. No profit there at all. The cement industry was converting over to trucks for transport. The only source of profit came from their bridge traffic, but even that was being challenged by the Lehigh and Hudson river. Both Lines went to the New Haven yard at Maybrook NY, however the L&HR route was shorter and had easier grades than the LNE. LC&N still was making money from the LNE, but all of these danger signs show that they needed to get rid of the LNE to avoid decline in profit. The line was split up three ways: The reading and the CNJ got the lines east of Tamaqua including the Panther valley mines, and the Hauto tunnel. Erie Lackawanna picked up the trackage in Pen Argyl, and the CNJ picked up the Cement lines above Bethlehem.

 

[LVman]

then in 72' CNJ pulled out, and the LNE trackage went with it. Unfortunately, one major Demise of my road, was the excessive amount of track, but not enough trains to run it on. When CNJ pulled out in 1972, LV enhirted all of CNJ tracks in penn.
Such a mess it was.
As for the Camelback, LNE, it was a 4-4-0 reading camelback. I think you were prbably referring to a different camelback, but anyway, i'll see what i can do.
Cheers,
Sean